Carrier for containers



, April 14 1959 J. E. SOCKE- CARRIER FOR CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 9, 1955 INVENTOR J OHN E. SOCKE ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,882,087 CARRIER FOR CONTAINERS John E. So'cke, Pelham Manor, N.Y., as signor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 9, 1955, Serial No. 545,826

2 Claims. (Cl. 294--87.2)

An object of the instant invention is the provision of i an inexpensive carrier which can be quickly and easily inserted between adjacent containers arranged in juxtaposed relation and just as quickly and easily wrapped around the containers while so arranged to hold them in a tight unitary package for carrying.

, Another object is the provision of such a carrier which is preferably madefrom' a single blank which has a plurality of tie members and in which the terminal ends of tie members are free and readily accessible for drawing and securing the tie members tightly around the containers.

-Another object is the provision of such a carrier which may be entirely preformed, if desired, as a complete unit. whichmaybe slipped over the tops of a plurality of juxtapositioned containers instead of being wrapped around the containers during assembly.

Another object is the provision of such a carrier which can be made from fibre web or sheet material in a substantially continuous strip.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of juxtaposed containers tied together with a carrying device embodying the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the carrying device shown in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a blank from which the carrying device shown in Fig. 2 is made;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to Fig. 2 and illustrating a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 2 and showing a second modified form of the invention, parts being broken away;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along a plane indicated by the lines 6'6 in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 6 and showing how the parts in Fig. 6 are assembled.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate a carrying device or carrier A (Figs. 1 and 2) for carrying a pair of fibre milk containers B disposed in juxtaposed relation as a unitary package. The containers B preferably are of the character disclosed in United States Patent 2,085,979, issued July 6, 1937, to John M. Hothersall on Container.

Such a container comprises a rectangular body D having fiat side walls E which at their upper ends are 2,882,087 Patented Apr. 14, 1959 ice formed with necked-in portions F and laterally projecting peripheral end seams or ledges G surrounding and securing a flat top member H in place on the body. In the juxtaposed relation of the containers B, two side walls E are directly opposite each other in substantially contiguous relation as shown in Fig. 1. The portions of the ledges G for these side walls extend transversely of the package and are substantially coincident. The immediately connecting sections of the ledges G, disposed at right angles to the ends of the transverse sections of the ledges, extend along the two long outer edges of the package in continuing or endwise alignment and are termed the outer longitudinally aligned ledges.

. The carrier A comprises a vertically disposed fiat handle 14 (Fig. 2) to be positioned between the transverse coincident portions of the ledges G and a plurality of flat band-like tie members 18 extending in opposite directions from the handle 14 for embracing the containers directly under the ledges G, the terminal ends of the tie members being free to facilitate wrapping of the members around the containers or to facilitate the formation of a pair of adjacent rectangular frames or loops as shown in Fig. -2, which. may bereadily slipped over the tops of the containers. In order to support the containers the top edge of the tie members 18 are formed with angularly disposed shoulders 23 which fit within the necked-in portions F of the juxtaposed containers and engage under the adjacent ledges G.

.,The carrier A preferably is made from a one-piece flat blank '11 (Fig. 3) of fibre material which may be readily cut from a substantially continuous strip of such material. The blank 11, in general, is an elongated rectangular strip having intermediate its side ends, a longitudinal fold or crease line 12 which is located midway between the outer longitudinal edges of the strip and which is of a length substantially equal to or less than the width of one of the contiguous side walls E of the containers B. This portion of the strip adjacent the fold line 12 preferably is formed with a pair of generally rectangular extensions which form the handle 14. These T extensions project laterally from the outer longitudinal edges of the strip, in opposite directions. Hand or finger openings 15 preferably are provided inthe handle extensions 14.

, The blank strip 11, adjacent the ends of the crease line 12, preferably is formed with a pair of perforations 16. Outwardly from these perforations, the strip is cut through or severed to produce longitudinal slits 17 which are located in endwise alignment with and form continuations of the ends of the fold line 12. These slits 17 are disposed midway between the outer longitudinal edges of the strip and extend from the perforations 16, to and through the terminal ends of the blank. The slits 17 thus divide the blank 11 into parallel pairs of narrow strips having free terminal ends, and which constitute the tie members 18 which extend from the handle 14 on opposite sides thereof.

The tie members 18 preferably are formed with transverse crease lines 19 which are spaced apart distances substantially equal to the width of the side walls E of the containers B. The free terminal ends of one pair of the members 18 (at the right as viewed in Fig. 3) preferably carries a film of adhesive 21, preferably a pressure sensitive adhesive. The blank, adjacent its outer longitudinal edges, between the handle extensions 14, also is preferably formed with longitudinal crease lines 22 to set off a plurality of inwardly inclined flanges or support shoulders 23 extending along the upper ends of the tie members 18.

Hence upon folding the blank 11 in half, along the fold line 12, the handle extensions 14 are brought into face-to-face relation as shown in Fig. 2 to produce the handle with the tie members 18 extending laterally in opposite directions from the handle as single walled bands with their terminal ends free and the support shoulders 23 extending along the top edges of the members. In this'condition, the handle portion of the carrier may be inserted between the. juxtaposed containers B asshown in Fig. l and cooperating pairs of the tie members 18 wrapped around each container just under the ledges G, with the free terminal ends of the tie members 18 overlapping and secured together by the adhesive 21 as shown in Fig. 1.

The tie members 18 thus embrace the containers B and tightly tie them to the handle 14 for carrying as a unitary package. The handle 14 extends above the containers where it is readily accessible and the shoulders 23'on the tie members 18 preferably are bent inwardly in an inclined position to engage within the necked-in portions F- and beneath the ledges G of the containers and thus support them during carrying.

The handle extensions 14 preferably are secured together in any suitable manner as by adhesive or staples tov produce a unitary handle. The handle preferably is narrower than the width of the container side wall E so asto provide for portions of the shoulder 23 on opposite sides of the handle to engage beneath the transversely coincident portions of the ledges G of the containers. The shoulders 23 may also be turned down in an inward and downward direction as shown in Fig. to provide a folded edge along the tops of the tie members 18 for engagement beneath the container ledges G.

In some cases it may be desired to preform the carrier A as shown in Fig. 2 before it is assembled with the containers. In such cases, the cooperating pairs of tie members 18, i.e. the two oppositely disposed members on each side of the handle 14, are brought together and their free ends secured to form the rectangular frame or loop hereinbefore mentioned. In such cases the tie members preferably are bent at the transverse crease lines 19 to facilitate shaping of the frame. In either case the shoulders 23 are not transversely creased as is apparent from an inspection of Fig. 3. During folding of the tie members 18 into position, the shoulders are also bent into position, and the corners, i.e. at the transverse crease lines 19 are folded-in over the shoulders to form a reenforcing or retaining element 26 (Figs. 2 and 5) which holds the shoulders in the desired angular position.

As a modified form of the invention, the handle 14 is formed as a separate unit as shown in Fig. 4 and the shoulder 23 is extended for the entire length of the adjacent portions of the tie members 18. In this modified form, the portions of the tie members 18 adjacent the fold line 12 are spaced apart sufliciently to produce a U-shaped channel 28 in which the handle 14 is located and. held in place in any suitable manner, as by adhesive or wire staples 2,9.

In a further modified form of the invention as illustrated in Fig. 5, the portions of the tie members 18 adjacent the fold line 12 are formed with elongated slots 31 (see also Figs. 6 and 7) which extend parallel with the fold line 12. In this form, the handle 14 is a separate U-shaped member as shown in Fig. 7 which fits under the fold line 12 of the tie members 18 and extends upwardly outside of the tie members and through the slots 31 as shown in Fig. 7. Above the slots 31 the sides of the handle 14 project upwardly above the tie members 18, in face-to-face relation, and between the tie members 18 as shown in Fig. 6 to provide a compact handle attachment for the tie members. The handle and the tie members preferably are secured together against displacement in any suitable manner as by a wire staple 33 (Figs. 5 and 6).

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A carrier for a pair of juxtaposed rectangular containers having laterally extending peripheral ledges at their upper ends, comprising an elongated strip of flexible sheet material having an integral flat upstanding handle for disposition between contiguous sides of said containers, and a pair of flexible tie members formed integrally with and extending from opposite edges of said handle for respective folding about and closely embracing the remaining three sides of said containers, the upper portions of said tiemembers being coplanar and bendable to extend angularly inwardly and upwardly as a plurality of support shoulders for engaging beneath said peripheral ledges on all four sides of each of said containers to support the juxtaposed containers for carrying purposes.

2. A carrier as defined in claim 1, wherein said tie members are each provided with spaced transverse crease lines for folding the tie members closely around the container side walls and wherein the free terminal ends of each of said tie members are overlapped and secured together in parallel relation to said handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,680,039 Burge June 1, 1954 2,694,596 Greenlaw et al. Nov. 16, 1954 2,696,400 Reyna et al Dec. 7, 1954 2,711,922 Botkin June 28, 1955 

